Acts 1:1-11 ~ All that Jesus began

 

 

Acts 1:1-11

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. 

He presented Himself alive to them after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God.

4 And while staying with them He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

6 So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?” 

7 He said to them, 

“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His Own Authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. 

10 And while they were gazing into Heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,  and said:

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?

 This Jesus, who was taken up from you into Heaven, 
will come in the same way as you saw Him go into Heaven.”

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Psalm 19

A psalm of David.

1 The Heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

3 They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the Heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

and

nothing is deprived of its warmth.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,

              refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and 

all of them are righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.

11 By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them 

there is great reward.

12 But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

14 May these words of my mouth 

and 

this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

Lord, 

my Rock 

and 

my Redeemer.

It's a little startling this century has so many parallels to the Book of Acts in the First and Second Century.

Lightning strikes are up to a record high. Flooding, Fires, Droughts. Arson. War. Violence. In third world nations, death by Lightning strike due to lack of cover is an incredible ongoing weather map on Weather Underground. This was the same in the first and second Centuries. Even today the Roman History lists the bizarre deaths by Lightning.

Violent Crime was up. Marriage Laws were recreated. Families inherited businesses for stability and, in these centuries, the Roman Empire was as vast in wealth as the USA today - this really only compares additionally to the Renaissance. Trade suddenly had war and violence to deal with. Everyone just felt uncomfortable in general and this was the beginning of walled city states. A general distrust of one another like Halloween candy. People wondered if the end of the world was at hand, this is very Historically accurate.


Gradually, times changed. 

The Good Sunday School Answer never failing is - Jesus. 

And the action we find changing the world in the Book of Acts is what occurred to me on Sunday at Church. "May I pray for you now?" A huge hug and an amazing prayer. From someone in their own emotional pain from a recently departed sibling. Few of us live with Ozzie and Harriet families. The culture of life intersects the brokenness of the world. 

Real hope comes from the real life events brave people share with one another.

What brought about another 1,000 years of Roman (called Byzantine after defeat) Empire? 

The Expectation of Jesus.

Prayer with belief. Faith. 

Overcoming what is inadequate. Less than warm. Overcoming what life brings you, to what your soul will willingly expect from God. 

Doing our best to avoid the abyss potholes to bring Love and Hope. The Book of Acts records ' Prayer. To pray and believe in all answers of prayer - God has answered. Even to say - wait or - no.

Paul is not recorded standing on a pulpit and castigating the culture

Which was less than perfect. Paul gave Love and parental Love and concern. Paul expected God to bring forth what we could not and for us to Trust God. When we flip through the Paul written with the Holy Spirit pages - we find Paul had an overwhelming Love for the people he spoke of Salvation in Jesus.

Matthew 17:5

He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”

Colossians 3:12

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience

Ephesians 1:6

To the praise of His glorious grace, 

with which He has blessed us 

in the Beloved.

Romans 1:7

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

 Grace to you

 and 

peace from God our Father 

and 

The Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, 

always abounding in the work of the Lord, 

knowing that in the Lord 

your labor is not in vain.

Consider the Brothers of Jesus, sons of Mary and Joseph

Jude 1:3

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you 

about our common salvation, 

I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith 

that was 

once 

for 

all 

delivered to the saints.

James 2:5

Listen, my beloved brothers, 

has not God chosen those who are poor in the world 

to be rich in faith 

and 

Heirs of the kingdom, 

which He has promised

 to those who love Him?

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, 

coming down from 

The Father of the Heavenly Lights

Psalm 29:11

The Lord gives His people strength;

The Lord blesses them with peace

Psalm 23:1 

The Lord is my shepherd, 

I lack nothing 

Abba, Father,

Blessings of God dwell in me, please in Jesus Christ.

Live, Move, Have Your Being in me. 

Know every breath, every thought, every cell. Be my Light.

Thank You Father 

for Jesus Christ. 

Live in me.

Thank You Father 

for Jesus Christ. 

Live in those I love.

Thank You Father God 

for Jesus Christ. 

Live in the Nations of the World 

Light of Christ Shine 

in all of mankind.

Thank You Father 

God for Grace.

Thank You Father God 

for the Victorious Promises of Jesus Christ. 

Build the Temple of God 

within me.

Thank You Father God 

for Living Water and Light of Christ 

Shine on the earth You call Good - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

Thank You Father God 

for Your Living Word 

Let the Word of God dwell in us all, 

 Richly Building Your Body. 

Building the Church. 

Building Love. 

Your Word Living and Active Today.

In the Highest Name we can Praise our

 Jesus Messiah. 

Amen.

Thank You Father God 

for Mercy.

And in Jesus - This Hope.

Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.

Thank You, Father.

Amen!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thank You, Lord Jesus 

† 

1 Kings 18:20-40 ~ You are GOD

 

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And also

The Septuagint

Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the Macedonian Greek pharaoh of Egypt, sent seventy-two Hebrew translators—six from each of the Twelve Tribes of Israel—from Second Temple era Jerusalem to Alexandria to translate the Torah from Biblical Hebrew into Koine Greek, for inclusion in Library of Alexandria. In a letter of Aristeas to his brother Philocrates,  and it was repeated by Philo, Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews, and by later sources, including St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. It is also found in the Tractate Megillah of the Babylonian Talmud:

King Ptolemy once gathered 72 Elders. He placed them in 72 chambers, each of them in a separate one, without revealing to them why they were summoned. He entered each one's room and said: "Write for me the Torah of Moshe, your teacher". God put it in the heart of each one to translate identically as all the others did.

There is a very good reason 

to 

heed 

Scripture.

Considérez la Révolution française comme un contexte historique: 

A brief look at recent history to see the Agenda still shown today

in Belfast, and the words of the Northern Ireland Head Politicians today saying there will be more immigrants. Saying basically, Ireland will have to just show more compassion when violent immigrants arrive.

Harris-Walz campaign hired a female Presbyterian Minister, somewhat retired to instead do longtime activist, to lead faith outreach. And the campaign issues a set of goals in the new position hire for Pastor Faith Outreach for the White House Administration.

It was more of a threat than a promise. 

New Head of Faith Outreach

Recognize that we’re at a pivotal moment in American democracy where faith voices for justice are needed now more than ever,” she said. “The Harris-Walz campaign is a really unique opportunity to shift the debate."

Faith in Public Life, a faith-focused advocacy effort incubated at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, was the starting point.  Concerned about religious freedom, and engaging new ideals.

Civil Disobedience was part of these works.

To lead or participate in campaigns supporting a range of causes such as immigrant rights, voting rights, health care reform and LGBTQ rights. Drawing in the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which was critical of the current health care proposals.

The post of Religion Pastor 

would engage 

all the Churches

 to understand they had been worshiping incorrectly 

in the past. 

The former form of Nationalism 

would be replaced 

and intolerance incorrectly 

interpreting Scripture. With a bold new look at Churches in the future.

When the churches cease to govern themselves, advertising their Hezekiah funds for the warring outsiders, there is a very grave line being crossed. 

Notre Dame has seen fires before.

The statues smashed. The chairs, before pews, piled in the center. Fire set upon them as a sacrifice to the Roman gods.  Then the Bibles and books of Notre Dame. It was not a one-time occurrence, and happened again and again when the Revolutionists wanted to poke God to do something to them.

I asked my mother, we lived in France for 4 years, why the French Revolution didn't burn the Catheedral. She said it was made of Stone.

Today, we know this is not true. Why didn't the French Revolution burn down

Notre Dame?

Notre Dame, 

built 1163 AD

French Revolution, 1789 - 1799 

630 Years Old

Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Reims 

An hour from Notre Dame, Paris suffered damage in World War I

Why didn't the French Revolution burn the ceiling of the 630-year-old Cathedral?

The Forests of 1200 AD gave up 300-year-old trees for the Notre Dame Cathedral.

WHY 

DIDN'T THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

BURN DOWN NOTRE DAME

They tried to provoke the Lord during the French Revolution. The idea was to prove God was an imp at best. So they were recreating the Baal Elijah experience.

And in the ignorance of free will, Notre Dame was smashed 

And then the French Revolutionaries put up fabric to hide the magnificent architecture and called Notre Dame the Temple of Reason.

It's possible

CS LEWIS would call this

The Old Magic

or

The Astonishing Resilience of the Church

And it helps us

calm down about a 17th century door

being repurposed in

Mary Major Basilica 

for Pope Francis' tomb.

1 Kings 18:20-40

20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.

Why

Notre Dame

was not BURNED

 this occurred when God wouldn't be provoked.

Matthew 16:18 

On This Rock

I will Build My Church

and

the gates of hell

Shall Not Prevail Against It.

Abba, Father,

Very much a work of the Lord.

When the 

Events of

Easter

coincide

We remember

John Wesley said, “The Work of God 

continues 

His workers go home”

Coinciding

John Wesley never left the Anglican Church

and The Anglican Church

never left

The Roman Catholic Church.

One God,

One Plan

As we think of the Sacrifice

of Jesus Christ

His Love

as He Forgave

We realize 

a Thousand Years 

are a Day to You.

And Give You Thanks

for

our

Salvation.

God of Light

You are in all things

You are Light of the world

Light of mankind

Light of Heaven

In all Things, You Create

You have given us Jesus Christ

Holy is

the Highest Name

Above

all others

Your Kingdom come

Your Good Will be done

we pray for more

on earth

just as it is in Heaven.

Give us This Day

Our Daily Bread.

Jesus the Living Bread.

Forgive us our Trespasses

as

we forgive those

who Trespass 

Against us.

Lead us not into temptation

Deliver us from Evil. 

For Thine

is the

Kingdom

and 

the Power

and 

the Glory.

Thank you for 

our new granddaughter

and many

answered prayers.

Amen in Jesus Christ 

John 21

Thank you, Jesus our Lord Christ

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You Jesus